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Photo: Martin St-Amant (S23678) · CC BY 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 09 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Peru: Democracy & Civil Liberties
Do people choose their rulers, and can they speak freely?
Peru is placed 107th of 198 countries on democracy & civil liberties in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Rule of Law -0.659 (2025); Civic Space Ratings 39.75 (2025).
Democracy & Civil Liberties
107th
of 198 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Peru on democracy & civil liberties — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 3
Rule of Law
World Bank Group
Why it is a key: Whether the law binds those who write it — contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts. Where the other two keys measure who holds power and what people may do, this measures whether power itself is bound by rules.
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
-0.659
Rule of Law estimate (−2.5 to 2.5)
Higher is better
Peru: -0.659. Across the 211 countries in this edition, values run from -2.199 (Venezuela) to 2.012 (Finland); the world median is -0.102.
- World median
- -0.102
- Best in South America
- 0.939 Uruguay
- Land neighbours
- Bolivia -1.348 · Brazil -0.486 · Chile 0.68 · Colombia -0.628 · Ecuador -1.034
Each grey tick is one of 211 countries in the 2025 edition.
Key 2 of 3
Civic Space Ratings
CIVICUS
Why it is a key: Whether people can assemble, organise and speak in practice this year. Correlates 0.915 with V-Dem, just inside the 0.92 bar, and kept because a country can hold real elections while closing civic space between them.
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
39.75
Civic space score (0–100)
Higher is better
Peru: 39.75. Across the 198 countries in this edition, values run from 2.17 (North Korea) to 100 (Kiribati); the world median is 50.46.
- World median
- 50.46
- Best in South America
- 84.46 Uruguay
- Land neighbours
- Bolivia 50.14 · Brazil 55.17 · Chile 76.28 · Colombia 40 · Ecuador 46.73
Each grey tick is one of 198 countries in the 2025 edition.
Key 3 of 3
V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg
Why it is a key: Regime type as assessed by scholars: whether elections are genuine and whether rulers can be removed by them.
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY-SA 4.0
0.667
Electoral democracy index (0–1)
Higher is better
Peru: 0.667. Across the 176 countries in this edition, values run from 0.016 (Saudi Arabia) to 0.913 (Denmark); the world median is 0.497.
- World median
- 0.497
- Best in South America
- 0.862 Uruguay
- Land neighbours
- Bolivia 0.605 · Brazil 0.784 · Chile 0.839 · Colombia 0.679 · Ecuador 0.607
Each grey tick is one of 176 countries in the 2025 edition.
02Over time
Which way Peru is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Rule of Law
Rule of Law estimate (−2.5 to 2.5) · higher is better
PeruWorld median
Peru rose from -0.812 in 2000 to -0.659 in 2025; the world median went from -0.175 to -0.102.
Every year’s figures
Year Peru World median 2025 -0.6585 -0.10240 2024 -0.5174 -0.10722 2023 -0.4912 -0.10312 2022 -0.4755 -0.12950 2021 -0.5091 -0.13640 2020 -0.4047 -0.14164 2019 -0.4368 -0.13092 2018 -0.4258 -0.13830 2017 -0.3596 -0.15682 2016 -0.3266 -0.15385 2015 -0.4391 -0.18731 2014 -0.5411 -0.20216 2013 -0.5546 -0.21236 2012 -0.5006 -0.20061 2011 -0.4617 -0.25960 2010 -0.4925 -0.21447 2009 -0.5121 -0.15524 2008 -0.5983 -0.16368 2007 -0.5529 -0.15051 2006 -0.5313 -0.11143 2005 -0.4632 -0.08498 2004 -0.3529 -0.14158 2003 -0.4858 -0.15770 2002 -0.5122 -0.13265 2000 -0.8119 -0.17518 V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index
Electoral democracy index (0–1) · higher is better
PeruWorld median
Peru rose from 0.413 in 2000 to 0.667 in 2025; the world median went from 0.478 to 0.497.
Every year’s figures
Year Peru World median 2025 0.667 0.4975 2024 0.642 0.4970 2023 0.700 0.5070 2022 0.733 0.5130 2021 0.771 0.5290 2020 0.818 0.5305 2019 0.801 0.5280 2018 0.810 0.5290 2017 0.789 0.5395 2016 0.788 0.5360 2015 0.817 0.5360 2014 0.822 0.5295 2013 0.821 0.5205 2012 0.827 0.5180 2011 0.812 0.5215 2010 0.804 0.5250 2009 0.800 0.5170 2008 0.801 0.5120 2007 0.796 0.5220 2006 0.792 0.5420 2005 0.792 0.5200 2004 0.792 0.5270 2003 0.792 0.5290 2002 0.792 0.5060 2001 0.723 0.4940 2000 0.413 0.4780
03In context
Peru beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 198 countries on democracy & civil liberties, never a place within the region.
1st198thNot placed · 26 countries with too few key statisticsNo data
Peru and the countries it borders
The standing is each country’s place among all 198 placed on the topic; the other columns are the publishers’ own values, read at the edition the standing used.
| Country | Standing | Rule of LawRule of Law estimate (−2.5 to 2.5) | Civic Space RatingsCivic space score (0–100) | V-Dem Electoral Democracy IndexElectoral democracy index (0–1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Chile | 39th | 0.68 | 76.28 | 0.839 |
 Brazil | =84th | -0.486 | 55.17 | 0.784 |
 Colombia | 104th | -0.628 | 40 | 0.679 |
| Peru | 107th | -0.659 | 39.75 | 0.667 |
 Ecuador | 115th | -1.034 | 46.73 | 0.607 |
 Bolivia | 118th | -1.348 | 50.14 | 0.605 |
“—” means the publisher gives no reading for that country in that edition. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed.
Across South America
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 198.
Placed either side on democracy & civil liberties
The countries immediately above and below Peru in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Peru is ahead of the world, and behind
14 more statistics filed under democracy & civil liberties, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median13
Statistics on which Peru does better than the middle country measured.
Academic Freedom IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.6190.8380.619▼ Worsened since 2015
Peru: 0.838 · world median 0.619 · Academic freedom index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.019 to 0.978; higher is better.
Position 42nd of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Participatory Democracy IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.2980.4480.298▼ Worsened since 2015
Peru: 0.448 · world median 0.298 · Participatory democracy index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.008 to 0.785; higher is better.
Position 52nd of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Social Institutions and Gender IndexOECD · 2023 · world median 25.218.625.2No earlier reading
Peru: 18.6 · world median 25.2 · SIGI score (0 = no discrimination, 100 = absolute). OECD, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 6.7 to 67.4; lower is better.
Position 96th of 140 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Government Internet ShutdownsV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 1.0231.5061.023No real change since 2015
Peru: 1.506 · world median 1.023 · Original latent estimate (≈ −4 to +2); higher = fewer shutdowns. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.547 to 2.081; higher is better.
Position 57th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Liberal Democracy IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.3530.5060.353▼ Worsened since 2015
Peru: 0.506 · world median 0.353 · Liberal democracy index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.009 to 0.884; higher is better.
Position 63rd of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Government Censorship of the MediaV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.5650.9090.565▼ Worsened since 2015
Peru: 0.909 · world median 0.565 · Original latent estimate (≈ −3 to +3.5); higher = less censorship. V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -3.017 to 3.489; higher is better.
Position 70th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Egalitarian Democracy IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.3210.3880.321▼ Worsened since 2015
Peru: 0.388 · world median 0.321 · Egalitarian democracy index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.016 to 0.876; higher is better.
Position 72nd of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Freedom of Expression and Alternative Sources of Information IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.6930.7630.693▼ Worsened since 2015
Peru: 0.763 · world median 0.693 · Freedom of expression index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.013 to 0.98; higher is better.
Position 73rd of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Deliberative Democracy IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.3390.3770.339▼ Worsened since 2015
Peru: 0.377 · world median 0.339 · Deliberative democracy index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.011 to 0.867; higher is better.
Position 77th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Physical Violence IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.790.8290.79▼ Worsened since 2015
Peru: 0.829 · world median 0.79 · Freedom from political killings and torture (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.053 to 0.989; higher is better.
Position 77th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Military Dimension IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.10.0710.1▼ Worsened since 2015
Peru: 0.071 · world median 0.1 · Military dimension index (0–1; higher = larger military role). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 1; lower is better.
Judicial Constraints on the Executive IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.6760.6910.676▼ Worsened since 2015
Peru: 0.691 · world median 0.676 · Judicial constraints on the executive index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.003 to 0.988; higher is better.
Position 85th of 175 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Women's Political Empowerment IndexV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2025 · world median 0.7720.7750.772▲ Improved since 2015
Peru: 0.775 · world median 0.772 · Women's political empowerment index (0–1). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.028 to 0.954; higher is better.
Position 87th of 176 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
Behind the world median1
Statistics on which Peru does worse than the middle country measured.
Voice and AccountabilityWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median -0.022-0.054-0.022▼ Worsened since 2015
Peru: -0.054 · world median -0.022 · Voice and Accountability estimate (−2.5 to 2.5). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from -2.348 to 1.825; higher is better.
Position 105th of 206 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.
05Country Index 2026
Democracy & Civil Liberties among Peru’s 16 topics
Democracy & Civil Liberties is Peru’s 11th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first; each marker sits at the position divided by that topic’s field, so fields of different sizes compare fairly.
- Education & Knowledgejoint 32nd of 1713/4 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 49th of 1834/4 keys
- Digital & Technology53rd of 1983/3 keys
- Energy56th of 1933/3 keys
- Food & Agriculturejoint 62nd of 1754/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability65th of 1813/3 keys
- Economy & Innovationjoint 80th of 1764/4 keys
- Work & Labour87th of 1824/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing98th of 2004/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 96th of 1944/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties107th of 1983/3 keys
- Development & Human Capital106th of 1963/3 keys
- Mobility & Trade83rd of 1473/3 keys
- Peace & Security105th of 1774/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience140th of 1923/3 keys
- Poverty & Inequalityjoint 122nd of 1592/2 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on democracy & civil liberties
The three countries placed highest of 198, and the leaders Peru can most readily be measured against.
1
NorwayNorthern Europe
1st of 198 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Ximonic , Simo Räsänen · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
=2
DenmarkNorthern Europe
Joint 2nd of 198 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: User:Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
=2
LiechtensteinWestern Europe
Joint 2nd of 198 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: Guido Radig,Inkey · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Americas
Canada=20th3/3 keysHighest in South America
Uruguay28th3/3 keysThis page
Peru107th3/3 keys
Positions out of 198 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Analysis
Charts and analysis about Peru and democracy & civil liberties
08Questions
Peru on democracy & civil liberties: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Peru rank on democracy & civil liberties?
Peru is placed 107th of 198 countries on Democracy & Civil Liberties in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Rule of Law, Civic Space Ratings and V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Rule of Law figure for Peru?
-0.659 in 2025 (rule of Law estimate (−2.5 to 2.5)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was -0.102.
What is the latest Civic Space Ratings figure for Peru?
39.75 in 2025 (civic space score (0–100)), according to CIVICUS. The world median in the same edition was 50.46.
How does Peru compare with Brazil on democracy & civil liberties?
Brazil is placed joint 84th of 198, and Peru 107th. Rule of Law: Brazil -0.486, Peru -0.659; Civic Space Ratings: Brazil 55.17, Peru 39.75; V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index: Brazil 0.784, Peru 0.667.
How have Peru’s democracy & civil liberties figures changed?
Rule of Law rose from -0.812 in 2000 to -0.659 in 2025; V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index rose from 0.413 in 2000 to 0.667 in 2025.
09Keep reading
Explore further
Peru, topic by topic
- Governance & Institutions=96th of 194
- Economy & Innovation=80th of 176
- Work & Labour87th of 182
- Education & Knowledge=32nd of 171
- Health & Wellbeing98th of 200
- Development & Human Capital106th of 196
- Environment & Sustainability65th of 181
- Gender & Equality=49th of 183
- Peace & Security105th of 177
- Risk & Resilience140th of 192
- Mobility & Trade83rd of 147
- Food & Agriculture=62nd of 175
- Poverty & Inequality=122nd of 159
- Energy56th of 193
- Digital & Technology53rd of 198
- The full Peru profile
Nearby, on democracy & civil liberties
The key statistics, for every country
10Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
This topic does not judge whether a government is competent or honest — that is Governance & Institutions — and it does not measure economic freedom. It also cannot capture everything about a political system in a single place in a list, which is why every key behind it links to the publisher's full edition.
How the Democracy & Civil Liberties standing is decided, step by step
A standing is a place in a list, not a mark out of anything. This one is part of the Country Index 2026, and it is worked out like this.
- A few key indicators decide it; the rest are context. 3 indicators on this topic are keys and 14 are charted alongside them without a vote. That split is the point: if every statistic voted, importing five more of one kind would quietly change what the topic is about.
- Each key is read at one edition. All of them describe 2025.
- Every country’s published value is turned into a place within that one key’s own field, and then expressed as a share of that field — how far down this key’s list the country sits, rather than how many countries are above it. Keys where a higher published number is worse (terrorism, hunger, disaster risk) are turned round first, so the good end is always the same end.
- Dividing by the field first is the whole reason this works. A place carries the size of its list inside it: 22nd of 44 and 108th of 215 are the same showing, and averaging the numbers 22 and 108 says loudly that they are not. Fields on this site run from about 44 countries to about 215, so averaging raw places would reward a country for happening to be measured in small ones. Dividing each place by its own field removes the size and leaves only the showing.
- The shares are averaged, plainly. One key, one vote — no key is weighted above another, because any weighting would be this site’s opinion presented as a measurement. Countries are then put in order by that average, and the average itself is never published. It is our arithmetic with nothing anchoring it, so printing it would invite it to be read as a measurement somebody made. The position it produces, the band, and the keys it was built from are all published instead — every one of them checkable against the tables on this page.
- A country needs 2 of this topic’s 3 keys — half, rounded up, and never fewer than 2. A standing built from one reading, printed beside one built from four, is two different things sharing a column heading. 198 countries clear the bar here.
- A key has to earn its vote every edition. It must measure at least 120 countries (below that it starts measuring who was surveyed rather than the world), it must not have more than 10% of its field tied at either end, and it must not repeat another key in the same topic — Spearman correlation above 0.92 counts as repeating. A topic needs at least 2 surviving keys to place anyone at all; this one has 3.
- A standing is relative, and the grouping is ours. It says where a country places against the others measured alongside it, so it moves when they move. The publishers listed on this page did not agree to be read together, and each measures its subject its own way: the underlying numbers are theirs, the ordering on top is this site’s — the same method as the rest of the Country Index, applied to one subject instead of all of them.
The key statistics and their licences
- Rule of Law — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Civic Space Ratings — CIVICUS, CC BY-SA 4.0
- V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index — V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
The other 14 statistics on this page come from 3 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Peru’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Peru (banner) — Martin St-Amant (S23678), CC BY 3.0
- Norway — Ximonic , Simo Räsänen, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Denmark — User:Aconcagua, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Liechtenstein — Guido Radig,Inkey, CC BY 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Peru: Democracy & Civil Liberties — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/peru/democracy